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Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School Centre for Self Directed Learning HRT 3M1 World Religions and Belief Traditions: Perspectives, Issues and Challenges Module 8: Judaism Part 2 UNIT 8 - ANSWER RECORDING DOCUMENT Record your answers to the unit questions here and submit this document completed to your teacher through Google Classroom. *Responses should be in full sentences and have proper paragraph structure. Please proofread your work for spelling, grammar, and clarity before submitting it. 1. What makes any text sacred? Is it important to have sacred beliefs? Are beliefs validated by texts? If yes, explain why. If not, explain why not and what should replace them. ● I think that what makes any text sacred is the fact that people believe in it, base their morals and principles on it, and derive their ideas or beliefs from it. In my opinion, it is important to have sacred beliefs because they give purpose to our everyday lives, reinforce stability and unity with the rest of society, and motivate people to act for the betterment of communities ( Sociological Perspectives on Religion ). I think that many beliefs are validated by texts because many of our beliefs are based around ideas that we found in texts, whether we consider them sacred or not. For example, in Judaism, the Torah is the basis for many fundamental Jewish beliefs, and Jewish people look to the Torah to help validate these beliefs in their everyday lives. The Torah is the most important of the Jewish scriptures and refers to the Law of Moses as well as to the entire belief system of the Jewish faith. Traditionally this is considered to be the first five books of the Bible. These are considered as the history of the Jewish people, and Jews believe they contain instructions about how God wants them to live --- these instructions are known as mitzvot. The Talmud is an example of how Jewish beliefs are validated by sacred texts such as the Torah. The Talmud refers to a series of teachings and commentaries by rabbis throughout the centuries who were interpreting and validating the Torah as times changed and diasporas took place. The Talmud explores the Torah in detail and helps to explain the various laws and beliefs that characterize Judaism. 2. Everyone has a safe and sacred place where they can feel grounded or be themselves. Places of worship, like a synagogue, create a space for Jews to comfortably express their spirituality. How is their faith represented in both the physical structure and social use of the synagogue? How is a synagogue similar or different to your ideal sacred space? ● The Jewish faith is represented in both the physical structure and social use of the synagogue in several different ways. In terms of the social use of the synagogue, Jews typically believe that every part of their life, including ordinary everyday activities, can be acts of prayer and should include ways that God can be worshiped. Jews may pray at
any time and worship anywhere but sacred practices done as a community happen in the synagogue, which most Jews refer to as shul, and many reform Jews simply call Temple. The s ynagogue is a communal place of worship for Jews used for gatherings, prayer, and study. The main services held each week are on Friday night and Saturday morning. However, many synagogues have daily services every morning and evening too to reiterate the idea that everyday life should include ways in which God can be worshipped. Inside of the synagogue, at the very front and center, is a raised platform known as the Binah. In the center of this space is the Holy Ark, which is where the Torah Scrolls are kept. This allows the Jewish faith to be represented in regards to its sacred texts. Above the ark is the eternal light, which is kept lit all the time to represent the constant presence of God. This is extremely important and represents the Jewish faith in regards to the religion’s beliefs. It commemorates the miracle of light that occurred when Judah rededicated the Temple to the Hebrew God. According to the Talmud, the Seleucids left only one intact vial of oil, just enough to light the Temple’s candelabrum for one day. However, it burned for eight days—enough time for the victorious Judeans to secure more oil—and the miracle became the foundation of a the eternal light to thank God and celebrate the victory of light over darkness. Additionally, The 10 Commandments and a menorah are usually also on prominent display in this area, to represent Jewish Law and their faith in God’s commandments. There is also a table or altar where the Torah is read from and the cantor sings, as well as a podium where the rabbi speaks from. This represents Jewish faith because it allows God’s word and the sacred texts of Judaism to be spread to the Jewish community, while also allowing for prayers and songs of worship to be recited or sung. Behind these, there are two seats, one each for the rabbi and the cantor. A synagogue is different from my ideal sacred space because I prefer to pray in quiet and open areas such as inside of my home, or out in nature, in a forest, by a stream, or on a boat in the middle of the lake. However, it is similar to my ideal sacred space because it serves relatively the same purpose: a special place where I can give thanks, worship God, and validate my beliefs. 3. Refer to a recent instance of anti-semitism in the news - clearly identify and explain what happened and the impact of the incident. What steps can society take to curb these occurrences? ● A recent instance of anti-semitism in the news occurred in October 2023, when a rabbi’s house was egged and vandalized with anti-semitic graffiti. The son of Rabbi Falik Schtroks caught the incident, which happened around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, on camera. In the video, a man can be seen throwing eggs at the rabbi’s house. A photo provided to CTV News also shows that a swastika was drawn in sharpie on the window. A swastika is widely recognized as a symbol of the German Nazi Party, an anti-semitic political party that was led by Adolf Hitler. Rabbi Falik Schtroks told CTV News that the vandal approached his son and asked if the home was a Jewish temple, and that the son said yes. The rabbi alleges that the vandal said, “I’m God, and I’m going to egg this place.” He added that his son called the police and they were shown the video. Rabbi Falik Schtroks said that the incident left him disappointed, but not at all surprised. Rabbi Schtroks said “On one hand, it’s only eggs. (But) which philosophy is to listen to a person who says around the world go, and attack Jews, and a person feels that they
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